Improvement in harvesters



' H. BRACKETT.

- Harvester.

NoQ 89,730'.

" Patented" May 4, '"'1869.

PATENT EEIGE.

HENRYBRACKETT, OF VALLEY FALLS, YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTERS.`

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 89,730, dated May 4,1869.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that LHENRY BRACKETT, of Valley Falls, Rensselaer county,State of New York, have invented certain new and useful 4 and 5represent detached views of the shipping clutch-lever and eccentric andspring for operating the same. Fig-6 is a similar view of theheel-clip.V Fig. 7 shows a vertical section through the finger-bar andone of the fingers enlarged, and Fig. 8 represents avertical sectionthrough the main shoe-box.

Similar letters denote corresponding parts of the machine wherever used.

The invention has for its obj ect the improvement of what is known asthe Eagle machinej7 and `for which Letters Patent were granted to E. F.and J. Herrington, April 9,

The nature and scope .of the invention will be best understood from-thefollowing detailed description, with reference to the drawings, in whichArepresents theniain axle; B B, the main driving and carrying Wheelsmounted thereon; C, the main frame, supported by the axle between thedriving-wheels; D, the seat and tongue frame or plate, also connectedthrough perforated arm d d with the axle A; and E, the main shoe, hingedat its rear end to a pendent support, F, attached to the rear end of themain frame, and carrying at its forward end, rigidly connected to it ata point in advance of a line drawn in front of the drive-wheels, thefinger-bar G.

A hinged coupling rod or brace, E', connects .the forward end of mainshoe E with the outer front corner of frame G at a .point in line, ornearly in line, with the crank-shaft, in such manner as to permit saidend of the shoe to freely rise and fall, independently of the` movementsof frame C. Y

The frame() moves or is adjusted upon the axle A as a center, andcarries the counter-or bevel wheel and pinion-shaft, pinions upon theopposite ends of which, and connected thereto by backin g ratchets,engage with and are driven by internally-cogged rims attached to themain drive-wheels B.-

A bevel -wheel, b, mounted on said shaft meshes with and drives abevel-wheel on the rear end of a crankshaft, also mounted upon frame C,and serving, through the crank and pitman connection at its forward end,togive the necessaryT reciprocating movement to the cutters.

The seat and tongue frame or plate D has the tongue Dl att-ached to itand seat D mounted upon it in any usual manner, vand is perforated nearits forwardl edge and provided with perforated ears or standards d1 d',between which, and through the perforation in plate D, a curvedperforated standard, c', on the main frame C passes, and by means ofwhich the angle of relation ofthe main and seat and tongue frames may beadjusted as desired, a pin passing through the perforations in standardc' and ears d serving tomain'- tain them at the desired adjustment.

H is a vertical rack, hinged to an arm attached to the main shoe E. SaidVarm passes up through a second perforation in the tongue frame or plateD, and serves to regulate the adjustment of the cutting apparatus whenoperated upon by the lever I, controlled by the driver in seat D2.

The machine, so far as above described in its general construction andarrangementre sembles the machine of Herrington referred to, except inpoints hereinafter noted.

The outer longitudinal bar of frame C extends farther forward than theinner bar, and the forward ends of said bars are connected by anobliquely-arranged transverse bar, as represented in dotted lines at c)cx, Fig. l, in suchinanner as to afford a proper support for the forwardend of the crank-shaft and the outer end of the coupling-bar E', whileat the same time the inner end of said bar E is permitted freely to passthe inner corner of frame C, thereby allowing the cutting apparatus-torise above or fall below the plane of frame C,- as may be required. i

The construction of the main shoe-box J is shown in Fig. 8, said boxconsisting of two j j?, to pendent support F, and has the party'l boltedto it, securing in place between them the wrist c on the end of the mainshoe in such manner as to permit the shoe to rock or roll freely thereiniu a direction at right angles to the movement of box J on its .pivotj'The axle A is made adjustable on frame C toward or away from the pinionor bevel-wheel shaft, for the purpose of varying the size of the pinionson said shaft, and the consequent speed of the cutters, in the followingmanner: The boxes a, in which the main axle is mounted on frame C, areprovided on their lower faces each with a spur or rib, a', which fitsinto one or two, or more, notches, a, in bearing-plates dx, and whichmay be changed from one t0 another of said notches for varying thedistance apart of the main and pinion shaft to permit the removablepinions on the latter to be replaced by others of the required size. Theaxle-boxes c are held, when properly adjusted, by bolts and nuts in theusual manner.

The parts of the bevel-wheel and bevelpinion which project above theframe are covered by a shield or cap, consisting of the lon gitudin alvertical center K, covering the toothed face and periphery of saidwheels, and with the arched angular arms k k', through which the shieldis secured to the outer longitudinal bar of frame C, and one of which,7c, serves as a cap to the bevel-pinion on the rear end of thecrank-shaft.

The vertical rack H, which serves to regulate the adjustment-of thecutters by holding the heel thereof at any desired point, at the optionofthe driver, when not held in lock with the frame-plate D by thedrivers foot, is held out of lock by means of a spring-follower, h,operated by a coil-spring inclosed in a boX, h', on frame-plate D, infront of the vertical. rack, as shown in Figs. l and 2.

The seat and tongue plate or frame D is provided with arms d and lugsdl, with a stiifening outer flange or rim, with ribs, forming a socketor recess for the tongue D1, and lwith a seat, d2, for the box h ofspring-follower h, all cast in one piece with said plate.

The small carrying-wheel Gr' (shown in Fig. 3) is connected to theforward end, E', of the main shoe E through the medium of a slottedadjustable plate, g. Said plate is provided with two or more perforatedears, gl, matching between and connected with corresponding ears g1 onthe shoe, and hinged therewith by means of a through-pivot, g2. Bywithdrawing the pin the plate g may be withdrawn and adjusted verticallyrelatively to the shoe.

The wheel Gis connected by a through-bolt or axle with the slottedswivelin g plate g, and by loosening the nut which secures the wheel inplace the bolt or axle may be adjusted up or down in the slot in plateg, as desired.

By this construction the cutters may be set to run with any desiredpressure upon or in the required proximity to the surface of the ground,while at the same time the swiveling wheel will be found to addmaterially to the ease with which the machine will turn the corners incutting around afield 0f grass or grain.

A feather on the shaft and a sliding clutch, b', serve to connect thebevel-wheel b with or to disconnect it from the movement of the pinionor counter-shaft.

The clutch b is operated by means of a forked lever, L, pivotedcentrally in an arm, m, of a circular box-plate, M. (See Fig. 4.)

A springgpl, mounted in a suitable recess or pocket in box M, serves tohold the lever L with the clutch engaged with the lbevel-wheel when notthrown out by the attendant.

Box M has a central hubor pivot, forming a bearing for a cap ordisk-cover, li/ to the box M, (shown inverted in Fig. 5,) provided witha crescent-shaped cam, N., (shown in red, Fig. 4,) which acts upon ashoulder ou lever L.

The cap is secured to box M, incasing the crescent cam-spring and rearend of lever L, and is connected by a through bolt or screw with thecentral hub in box M, which serves as a pivot to the cap-plate M.

An arm, m', of the cap-plate is connected, by a link or rod, fi, with ashipping-lever, I', .arranged within reach of the driver.

'When the driver wishes to disengage the bcvel-wheelgand stop the actionof the cutters, the lever l is moved forward, thereby rotating thecap-plate M and crescent cam N, and the latter, acting upon the shoulderof the forked lever, overcomes the resistance of the spring Z andvibrates the lever sufficiently to disengage the driving-clutch from thebevel-wheel b. A reverse movement of the cam releases the lever L andallows the spring Z again to act upon it for throwing the parts intogear.

O is the heel-clip, (shown detached in Fin'. 6,) provided vwith asickle-guide arm or spur, o, on its forward edge, and on its rear edgewith spurs o' o2, which rest against the vertical face of thefinger-beam socket in shoe E, and serve to strengthen theflnger-beamagainst the backward strain to which said bar is subjected. A verticalspur, O2, on the heel end of the clip serves to prevent the sickle-barfrom dropping out of place when the cutting apparatus is turned up intoa vertical position `for passing an obstruction or for transportation.These several spurs are cast with the clip or otherwise suitablyconnected therewith, and the clip is secured in place by the same boltwhich unites the heel end of the fingerbar with the main shoe E.

The construction of the guard-fingers and the manner of applying theleger-plates or fixed cutters thereto are represented in the detachedviews, Figs. 7, 7. The guard Pis cast hollow to give it the requisitelightness and strength, together with the proper dimensions, and a steelcap-plate,1o, provided with a tongue on its forward end, fitting acorresponding recess in the guard, is used for covering the concavity inthe guard and for furnishing the necessary cutting-edges to oppose thereciprocating cutters. This plate rests upon the sides of the guard, andis bentat its heel end to an' angle of forty-five degrees, more or less,said angular heel end resting in a recess in the inclined face of theguard, against which the forward beveled edge of the finger-bar rests,and terminating at the lower face or lower forward angle of said bar.

A single bolt, P', which secures the guard to the linger-bar, serves, inconnection with the tongue and recess at the forward end, to

ralso firmly confine the leger-plate in its place in said guard byclamping its inclined heel end against the inclined recessed facethereof. Q is -a curved shield or guard, attached to the front outercornerof the machine, and serving to protect the crank-wheel and pitmanfrom obstructing matter. .i

I have now described my invention so far as it relates to theimprovement of the machine as a mower. Other parts of my invention,designed to adapt the machine for use as a reaper, are described inanother application of even date herewith, and need not be againdescribed here.

What 1 claim under the application as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

1. The oblique arrangement of the forward transverse bar to the mainframe, in combination with .the main shoe and coupling-brace, forconnecting the finger-bar to said frame, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

2. The carrying-wheel G', attachedto the main shoe by means of ahorizontalswiveling plate or arm, for the purpose set forth.

3. The adjustable swiveling carrying-wheel G', in combination with themain shoe, substantially as described.

4. The main clip O, provided with the s purs o1 o2 and guide-arms o,operating as described. 5. The arrangement of the spring head orplunger, which holds the vertical rack H disengaged except when the sameis held in lock by the foot or'hand of the driver.

6. The adjustment of the distance apart of the main and pinion shaftsthrough the spurred or tongued and grooved boxes, supporting plates foreffecting a clange of pinions and change of speed of the cutters, as setforth.

7. The vibrating eccentric N, for operating the shipping-lever, asdescribed. n

8. The eccentric or shifting box M, inclosin g the shipping-cam andspring, substantially as described.

9. The swiveling main shoe-box j jl, constructed and operating asdescribed.

10. The flanged seat and tongueplate D, provided with perforated arms d,lugs d1, and hanged seat d2, all cast in one piece, substantially as andfor the purpose described.

HENRY BRAGKETT.

Witnesses E. F. Faos'r, B. ALLEN.

